“Annually, the Center has presented a signature fall event to provide analysis and predictions about Texas state and national politics and policy,” said Sherri Greenberg, LBJ School Lecturer and CPG Interim Director. “This year, we saw the opportunity to collaborate with the Annette Strauss Institute, the New Politics Forum and the Hatton Sumners Foundation on an event with the potential of reaching an even wider audience. We are delighted participate and contribute to an event of this scope.”

Greenberg will moderate the panel “Hot Topics in 2011: A Look at the 82nd Texas Legislature,” featuring Lloyd Potter, official state of Texas demographer, Michael Brandl from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin, and Steve Bickerstaff, professor from The University of Texas at Austin School of Law.

Other topics will include an election results overview with Dana Chiodo of TexasCandidates.com along with the panel “Blunt Tell-All from the Texas Campaign Trail” featuring Rob Johnson, campaign manager for Rick Perry for Governor 2010 and Matt Angle, Democratic strategist and founder of the Democratic Trust.

The conference will close with “An Evening with Governor Howard Dean: A Look Toward 2012,” which will be moderated by Jenifer Sarver (R), Chief-of-staff for the Office of Karen Hughes and Parag Mehta (D), former Director of Training - Democratic National Committee.

Since 2003, the New Politics Forum and the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation have changed the lives of almost a 1,000 young people. The New Politics Forum shares political knowledge with young people on a strictly non-partisan basis by bringing students into contact with experienced political professionals, members of the working press and university researchers.